254 research outputs found
Agricultural Turns, Geographical Turns: Retrospect and Prospect.
It is accepted that British rural geography has actively engaged with the ‘cultural turn’, leading to a resurgence of research within the sub-discipline. However, a reading of recent reviews suggests that the cultural turn has largely, if not completely, bypassed those geographers interested in the agricultural sector. Farming centred engagements with notions of culture have been relatively limited compared with those concerned with the non-agricultural aspects of rural space. Indeed, agricultural geography represents something of an awkward case in the context of the disciplinary turn to culture, a situation that demands further exposition. In seeking explanation, it becomes evident that research on the farm sector is more culturally informed than initially appears. This paper argues that there have been both interesting and important engagements between agricultural geography and cultural perspectives over the past decade. The paper elaborates four specific areas of research which provide evidence for concern about the ‘culture’ within agriculture. The future contribution that culturally informed perspectives in geographical research can bring to agricultural issues is outlined by way of conclusion
Essential prescribing tips for GP Associates-in-Training
Prescribing is an essential role in general practice but it is also, at times, a high risk activity. GP Associates-in-Training (GP AiTs) have been highlighted as needing further support to reduce the risk of prescribing errors. This article highlights some common prescribing errors to help GP AiTs to review their prescribing and develop prescribing habits to avoid errors. The general practice workforce is changing and there are more pharmacists working in general practice. This article describes the role of clinical pharmacists in prescribing safety and in supporting GP AiTs
A measurement of the millimetre emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect associated with low-frequency radio sources
We present a statistical analysis of the millimetre-wavelength properties of 1.4GHz-selected sources and a detection of the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect associated with the haloes that host them. We stack data at 148, 218 and 277GHz from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope at the positions of a large sample of radio AGN selected at 1.4GHz. The thermal SZ effect associated with the haloes that host the AGN is detected at the 5σ level through its spectral signature, representing a statistical detection of the SZ effect in some of the lowest mass haloes (average M 200 ≈ 10 13 M. h −1 70 ) studied to date. The relation between the SZ effect and mass (based on weak lensing measurements of radio galaxies) is consistent with that measured by Planck for local bright galaxies. In the context of galaxy evolution models, this study confirms that galaxies with radio AGN also typically support hot gaseous haloes. Adding Herschel observations allows us to show that the SZ signal is not significantly contaminated by dust emission. Finally, we analyse the contribution of radio sources to the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Detection or Sunyaev-Zel'Dovich Decrement in Groups and Clusters Associated with Luminous Red Galaxies
We present a detection of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) decrement associated with the Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The SZ data come from 148 GHz maps of the equatorial region made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The LRG sample is divided by luminosity into four bins, and estimates for the central Sunyaev-Zel'dovich temperature decrement are calculated through a stacking process. We detect and account for a bias of the SZ signal due to weak radio sources. We use numerical simulations to relate the observed decrement to Y(sub 200) and clustering properties to relate the galaxy luminosity bins to mass. We also use a relation between BCG luminosity and cluster mass based on stacked gravitational lensing measurements to estimate the characteristic halo masses. The masses are found to be in the range approx.10(exp 13) - 10(exp 14)/h Stellar Mass, a lower range than has been previously probed
Introducing Registered Reports at Language Learning: Promoting Transparency, Replication, and a Synthetic Ethic in the Language Sciences
The past few years have seen growing interest in open science practices, which include initiatives to increase transparency in research methods, data collection, and analysis, to enhance accessibility to data and materials, and to improve the dissemination of findings to broader audiences. Language Learning is enhancing its participation in the open science movement by launching Registered Reports as an article category as of 1 January 2018. Registered Reports allow authors to submit the conceptual justifications and the full method and analysis protocol of their study to peer review prior to data collection. High quality submissions then receive provisional, in-principle acceptance. Provided that data collection, analyses, and reporting follow the proposed and accepted methodology and analysis protocols, the paper is subsequently publishable whatever the findings. We outline key concerns leading to the development of Registered Reports, describe its core features, and discuss some of its benefits and weaknesses
Using blogging and laptop computers to improve writing skills on a vocational training course
<span>The action research project described in this paper was part of an initiative to bring about change in the way courses are delivered in the vocational trades area at UNITEC New Zealand. We decided to focus on students' writing on a new Level 3 course - the Certificate in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering (C.A.M.E.) in which all participants had netbooks or laptops for the first time. We selected blogging because it introduces new possibilities in a field where one would not expect to see much written work by students. Using the </span><em>Problem Resolving Action Research</em><span> (PRAR) model (Piggot-Irvine, 2009), we approached the project in three stages. At the reconnaissance stage it was clear that writing skills did not enjoy a position of priority. We gauged the C.A.M.E. students' attitudes to writing in general, and to digital technology via the use of a questionnaire and a focus group. We then implemented new approaches to teaching using digital technology in response to perceived needs. At the evaluation stage, we collected further responses via a questionnaire and a focus group on the students' attitudes to blogging and digital technology. Key findings included that the students were not discouraged by writing tasks, nor by digital technology, and that vocational tutors may need to play a more active role in embedding writing in courses.</span></jats:p
A Measurement of the Millimeter Emission and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Associated with Low-Frequency Radio Sources
We present a statistical analysis of the millimeter-wavelength properties of 1.4 GHz-selected sources and a detection of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect associated with the halos that host them. We stack data at 148, 218 and 277 GHz from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope at the positions of a large sample of radio AGN selected at 1.4 GHz. The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect associated with the halos that host the AGN is detected at the 5 sigma level through its spectral signature, representing a statistical detection of the SZ effect in some of the lowest mass halos (average M(sub 200) approximately equals 10(sup 13) solar mass h(sub 70)(exp 1) ) studied to date. The relation between the SZ effect and mass (based on weak lensing measurements of radio galaxies) is consistent with that measured by Planck for local bright galaxies. In the context of galaxy evolution models, this study confirms that galaxies with radio AGN also typically support hot gaseous halos. Adding Herschel observations allows us to show that the SZ signal is not significantly contaminated by dust emission. Finally, we analyze the contribution of radio sources to the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background
Introduction of Methods Showcase Articles in Language Learning
Building on initiatives to promote high quality methodologies and Open Science practices in the language sciences, Language Learning will introduce, as of March 2020, a new manuscript type entitled Methods Showcase Articles (MSAs). The purpose of MSAs is to introduce new or emerging qualitative and quantitative methods, techniques, or instrumentation for language data collection, cleaning, sampling, coding, scoring, and analysis. MSAs are intended to describe methods and provide detailed examples of their application such that language researchers can easily adopt or adapt them in future studies. In this editorial, we outline the goals, format, and benefits of MSAs, discuss how they can advance language sciences, and discuss potential concerns
The Effects of Temperature on Clot Microstructure and Strength in Healthy Volunteers
BACKGROUND: Anesthesia, critical illness, and trauma are known to alter thermoregulation, which can potentially affect coagulation and clinical outcome. This in vitro preclinical study explores the relationship between temperature change and hemostasis using a recently validated viscoelastic technique. We hypothesize that temperature change will cause significant alterations in the microstructural properties of clot. METHODS: We used a novel viscoelastic technique to identify the gel point of the blood. The gel point identifies the transition of the blood from a viscoelastic liquid to a viscoelastic solid state. Furthermore, identification of the gel point provides 3 related biomarkers: the elastic modulus at the gel point, which is a measure of clot elasticity; the time to the gel point (TGP), which is a measure of the time required to form the clot; and the fractal dimension of the clot at the gel point, df, which quantifies the microstructure of the clot. The gel point measurements were performed in vitro on whole blood samples from 136 healthy volunteers over a temperature range of 27°C to 43°C. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between increases in temperature, from 27°C to 43°C, and TGP (r = −0.641, P 37°C. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the gel point technique can identify alterations in clot microstructure because of changes in temperature. This was demonstrated in slower-forming clots with less structural complexity as temperature is decreased. We also found that significant changes in clot microstructure occurred when the temperature was ≤32°C
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cosmological parameters from three seasons of data
We present constraints on cosmological and astrophysical parameters from
high-resolution microwave background maps at 148 GHz and 218 GHz made by the
Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in three seasons of observations from 2008 to
2010. A model of primary cosmological and secondary foreground parameters is
fit to the map power spectra and lensing deflection power spectrum, including
contributions from both the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect and the
kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect, Poisson and correlated anisotropy
from unresolved infrared sources, radio sources, and the correlation between
the tSZ effect and infrared sources. The power ell^2 C_ell/2pi of the thermal
SZ power spectrum at 148 GHz is measured to be 3.4 +\- 1.4 muK^2 at ell=3000,
while the corresponding amplitude of the kinematic SZ power spectrum has a 95%
confidence level upper limit of 8.6 muK^2. Combining ACT power spectra with the
WMAP 7-year temperature and polarization power spectra, we find excellent
consistency with the LCDM model. We constrain the number of effective
relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe to be Neff=2.79 +\- 0.56,
in agreement with the canonical value of Neff=3.046 for three massless
neutrinos. We constrain the sum of the neutrino masses to be Sigma m_nu < 0.39
eV at 95% confidence when combining ACT and WMAP 7-year data with BAO and
Hubble constant measurements. We constrain the amount of primordial helium to
be Yp = 0.225 +\- 0.034, and measure no variation in the fine structure
constant alpha since recombination, with alpha/alpha0 = 1.004 +/- 0.005. We
also find no evidence for any running of the scalar spectral index, dns/dlnk =
-0.004 +\- 0.012.Comment: 26 pages, 22 figures. This paper is a companion to Das et al. (2013)
and Dunkley et al. (2013). Matches published JCAP versio
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