UK science press officers, professional vision and the generation of expectations

Science press officers can play an integral role in helping promote expectations and hype about biomedical research. Using this as a starting point, this article draws on interviews with 10 UK-based science press officers, which explored how they view their role as science reporters and as generators of expectations. Using Goodwin’s notion of ‘professional vision’, we argue that science press officers have a specific professional vision that shapes how they produce biomedical press releases, engage in promotion of biomedical research and make sense of hype. We discuss how these insights can contribute to the sociology of expectations, as well as inform responsible science communication.This project was funded by the Wellcome Trust (Wellcome Trust Biomedical Strategic Award 086034)

Evaluating predictive pharmacogenetic signatures of adverse events in colorectal cancer patients treated with fluoropyrimidines

The potential clinical utility of genetic markers associated with response to fluoropyrimidine treatment in colorectal cancer patients remains controversial despite extensive study. Our aim was to test the clinical validity of both novel and previously identified markers of adverse events in a broad clinical setting. We have conducted an observational pharmacogenetic study of early adverse events in a cohort study of 254 colorectal cancer patients treated with 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine. Sixteen variants of nine key folate (pharmacodynamic) and drug metabolising (pharmacokinetic) enzymes have been analysed as individual markers and/or signatures of markers. We found a significant association between TYMP S471L (rs11479) and early dose modifications and/or severe adverse events (adjusted OR = 2.02 [1.03; 4.00], p = 0.042, adjusted OR = 2.70 [1.23; 5.92], p = 0.01 respectively). There was also a significant association between these phenotypes and a signature of DPYD mutations (Adjusted OR = 3.96 [1.17; 13.33], p = 0.03, adjusted OR = 6.76 [1.99; 22.96], p = 0.002 respectively). We did not identify any significant associations between the individual candidate pharmacodynamic markers and toxicity. If a predictive test for early adverse events analysed the TYMP and DPYD variants as a signature, the sensitivity would be 45.5 %, with a positive predictive value of just 33.9 % and thus poor clinical validity. Most studies to date have been under-powered to consider multiple pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variants simultaneously but this and similar individualised data sets could be pooled in meta-analyses to resolve uncertainties about the potential clinical utility of these markers

The stellar and sub-stellar IMF of simple and composite populations

The current knowledge on the stellar IMF is documented. It appears to become top-heavy when the star-formation rate density surpasses about 0.1Msun/(yr pc^3) on a pc scale and it may become increasingly bottom-heavy with increasing metallicity and in increasingly massive early-type galaxies. It declines quite steeply below about 0.07Msun with brown dwarfs (BDs) and very low mass stars having their own IMF. The most massive star of mass mmax formed in an embedded cluster with stellar mass Mecl correlates strongly with Mecl being a result of gravitation-driven but resource-limited growth and fragmentation induced starvation. There is no convincing evidence whatsoever that massive stars do form in isolation. Various methods of discretising a stellar population are introduced: optimal sampling leads to a mass distribution that perfectly represents the exact form of the desired IMF and the mmax-to-Mecl relation, while random sampling results in statistical variations of the shape of the IMF. The observed mmax-to-Mecl correlation and the small spread of IMF power-law indices together suggest that optimally sampling the IMF may be the more realistic description of star formation than random sampling from a universal IMF with a constant upper mass limit. Composite populations on galaxy scales, which are formed from many pc scale star formation events, need to be described by the integrated galactic IMF. This IGIMF varies systematically from top-light to top-heavy in dependence of galaxy type and star formation rate, with dramatic implications for theories of galaxy formation and evolution.Comment: 167 pages, 37 figures, 3 tables, published in Stellar Systems and Galactic Structure, Vol.5, Springer. This revised version is consistent with the published version and includes additional references and minor additions to the text as well as a recomputed Table 1. ISBN 978-90-481-8817-

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: global stellar populations on the size-mass plane

We present an analysis of the global stellar populations of galaxies in the SAMI (Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph) Galaxy Survey. Our sample consists of 1319 galaxies spanning four orders of magnitude in stellar mass and includes all morphologies and environments. We derive luminosity-weighted, single stellar population equivalent stellar ages, metallicities and alpha enhancements from spectra integrated within one effective radius apertures. Variations in galaxy size explain the majority of the scatter in the age–mass and metallicity–mass relations. Stellar populations vary systematically in the plane of galaxy size and stellar mass, such that galaxies with high stellar surface mass density are older, more metal rich and alpha enhanced than less dense galaxies. Galaxies with high surface mass densities have a very narrow range of metallicities; however, at fixed mass, the spread in metallicity increases substantially with increasing galaxy size (decreasing density). We identify residual correlations with morphology and environment. At fixed mass and size, galaxies with late-type morphologies, small bulges and low Sérsic n are younger than early type, high n, high bulge-to-total galaxies. Both age and metallicity show small residual correlations with environment; at fixed mass and size, galaxies in denser environments or more massive haloes are older and somewhat more metal rich than those in less dense environments. We connect these trends to evolutionary tracks within the size–mass plane

Potential new genes for resistance to Mycosphaerella graminicola identified in Triticum aestivum x Lophopyrum elongatum disomic substitution lines.

Lophopyrum species carry many desirable agronomic traits, including disease resistance, which can be transferred towheat by interspecific hybridization. To identify potentially new genes for disease and insect resistance carried by individual Lophopyrum chromosomes, 19 of 21 possible wheat cultivar Chinese Spring 9 Lophopyrum elongatum disomic substitution lines were tested for resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV), the Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor, and the fungal pathogens Blumeria graminis and Mycosphaerella graminicola (asexual stage: Septoria tritici). Low resistance to BYDV occurred in some of the disomic substitution lines, but viral titers were significantly higher than those of two Lophopyrum species tested. This suggested that genes on more than one Lophopyrum chromosome are required for complete resistance to this virus. A potentially new gene for resistance to CYDV was detected on wheatgrass chromosome 3E. All of the substitution lines were susceptible to Mayetiola destructor and one strain of B. graminis. Disomic substitution lines containing wheatgrass chromosomes 1E and 6E were significantly more resistant to M. graminicola compared to Chinese Spring. Although neither chromosome by itself conferred resistance as high as that in the wheatgrass parent, they do appear to contain potentially new genes for resistance against this pathogen that could be useful for future plant-improvement programs

Utilising daily diaries to examine oral health experiences associated with dentine hypersensitivity

Background: The current investigation examined the determinants of oral health experiences associated with dentine hypersensitivity using prospective diary methodology. Methods: Staff and students from a large UK university who had self-diagnosed dentine hypersensitivity completed an online daily diary and text survey for two weeks recording their mood, oral health-related coping behaviours, coping and pain appraisals, pain experiences and functional limitations. Cross sectional and lagged path analyses were employed to examine relationships. Results: 101 participants took part in the diary study. Participants had a mean age of 26.3 years (range=18-63) and most were female (N=69). Individuals who used more oral health-related coping behaviours predicted and experienced greater levels of pain on subsequent days. Negative mood also predicted worse pain outcomes. The daily diary method provided a useful avenue for investigating variations in oral health experiences and relationships between variables that can fluctuate daily. Conclusions: Psychological variables such as coping and mood play an important role in the pain experiences of people with dentine hypersensitivity. The study highlights the benefits of using prospective methods to elucidate the experiences of people with oral condition

Boolean-controlled systems via receding horizon and linear programing.

We consider dynamic systems controlled by boolean signals or decisions. We show that in a number of cases, the receding horizon formulation of the control problem can be solved via linear programing by relaxing the binary constraints on the control. The idea behind our approach is conceptually easy: a feasible control can be forced by imposing that the boolean signal is set to one at least one time over the horizon. We translate this idea into constraints on the controls and analyze the polyhedron of all feasible controls. We specialize the approach to the stabilizability of switched and impulsively controlled systems

Australia's circular economy metrics and indicators

This article presents a comprehensive economy-wide material flow analysis of the Australian economy in 2019, examining the domestic extraction, trade, end-of-life flows, and recycling for all materials. The results highlight Australia's role as a natural resource supplier, with metals and fossil fuels being primary contributors. Through material flow analysis, we found that in 2019 Australia extracted 2587 Mt of natural resources, exported a substantial fraction (1459 Mt), and used 917 Mt to fulfill domestic needs. The recycling flows and circularity metrics are also explored, with an end-of-life recycling rate of 51.1% and an overall circularity rate of 5.1%. An additional assessment of Australia's consumption-based material footprint highlights mobility and housing as the dominant material-using sectors. These results contribute to understanding Australia's material consumption patterns, indicating significant reliance on foreign semifinished and finished products, and provide insights into the potential for enhancing economic circularity