Showing papers by "Durham University published in 2023"

There and back again: 50 years of wandering through <i>terra incognita fusorum</i>

Abstract: New Findings What is the topic of this paper? This paper concerns the relationship between structure and function of the mammalian muscle spindle, its intrafusal muscle fibres and their sensory and motor innervation. What advances does it highlight? The paper summarizes the development of knowledge of the number of types of intrafusal muscle fibres and the pattern and functional significance of their fusimotor innervation. New observations are presented on the quantitative functional morphology of equatorial nuclei and primary sensory endings. Abstract This paper is in two parts: ‘There’, which is a review of some of the major advances in the study of spindle structure and function during the past 50 years, serving as an introduction to the symposium entitled ‘Mechanotransduction, Muscle Spindles and Proprioception’ held in Munich in July 2022; and ‘And Back Again’, presenting new quantitative morphological results on the equatorial nuclei of intrafusal muscle fibres and of the primary sensory ending in relationship to passive stretch of the spindle.

Interspecific territoriality has facilitated recent increases in the breeding habitat overlap of North American passerines

Abstract: As species' ranges shift in response to human-induced global changes, species interactions are expected to play a large role in shaping the resultant range dynamics and, subsequently, the composition of modified species assemblages. Most research on the impact of species interactions on range dynamics focuses on the effects of trophic interactions and exploitative competition for resources, but an emerging body of work shows that interspecific competition for territories and mates also affects species range shifts. As such, it is paramount to build a strong understanding of how these forms of behavioural interference between species impact landscape-scale patterns. Here, we examine recent (1997–2019) range dynamics of North American passerines to test the hypothesis that behavioural interference impacts the ease with which species move across landscapes. Over this 22 year period, we found that fine-scale spatial overlap between species (syntopy) increased more for species pairs that engage in interspecific territoriality than for those that do not. We found no evidence, however, for an effect of reproductive interference (hybridisation) on syntopy, and no effect of either type of interference on range-wide overlap (sympatry). Examining the net effects of species interactions on continent-scale range shifts may require species occurrence data spanning longer time periods than are currently available for North American passerines, but our results show that interspecific territoriality has had an overall stabilising influence on species coexistence over the past two decades.

Energy justice in the context of green extractivism: Perpetuating ontological and epistemological violence in the Yucatan Peninsula

Abstract: As the world gets warmer, the deployment of low-carbon infrastructure is seen as the cornerstone to mitigate the pressures created by fossil capitalism, prompting questions over what constitutes a 'just' energy transition. This has simultaneously broadened the discussion over what are the social justice and colonial legacies embedded in the infrastructural, technological and material composition of energy systems. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with different actors, this article looks at the deployment of low carbon infrastructure in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, as the colonial legacies, politics and power relations embedded in energy systems interact with the construction of the so-called "Maya Train", a regional integration project seeking to interconnect the southeast of Mexico. It asks the question: can we speak of energy justice in a context of total extraction? Drawing on the literature of green extractivism, it argues that as long as energy justice is linked to a Westernized conception of modernity and development it risks reproducing injustices instead of solving them. The article suggests that political ecology must pay closer attention to emancipatory struggles in defense of the territory as they move away from a universal definition of energy justice.&nbsp;

Inference of the Timescale‐Dependent Apparent Viscosity Structure in the Upper Mantle Beneath Greenland

Abstract: Contemporary crustal uplift and relative sea level (RSL) change in Greenland is caused by the response of the solid Earth to ongoing and historical ice mass change. Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models, which seek to match patterns of land surface displacement and RSL change, typically employ a linear Maxwell viscoelastic model for the Earth's mantle. In Greenland, however, upper mantle viscosities inferred from ice load changes and other geophysical phenomena occurring over a range of timescales vary by up to two orders of magnitude. Here, we use full-spectrum rheological models to examine the influence of transient deformation within the Greenland upper mantle, which may account for these differing viscosity estimates. We use observations of shear wave velocity combined with constitutive rheological models to self-consistently calculate mechanical properties including the apparent upper mantle viscosity and lithosphere thickness across a broad spectrum of frequencies. We find that the contribution of transient behavior is most significant over loading timescales of 102–103 years, which corresponds to the timeframe of ice mass loss over recent centuries. Predicted apparent lithosphere thicknesses are also in good agreement with inferences made across seismic, GIA, and flexural timescales. Our results indicate that full-spectrum constitutive models that more fully capture broadband mantle relaxation provide a means of reconciling seemingly contradictory estimates of Greenland's upper mantle viscosity and lithosphere thickness made from observations spanning a range of timescales.

Choice and control: corpus-based discourse analysis of teacher education policy in England (2010-2021)

Abstract: Education policy in recent years has dramatically repositioned the role and status of teachers, trainee teachers and teacher education in the UK and beyond. This paper focuses specifically on education policy in England; however, it has broader significance for those interested in education and teacher education in international policy contexts. Two corpora were constructed for the project; one collated education policy documents in 2010–2021, and another collated education policy documents in 1970–2009. The analysis used the corpus linguistic tool Wordsmith 8. Keywords, concordance, and collocation, were used to examine themes within the discourse of the focus corpus, supported by a critical policy discourse analysis frame. The themes identified in this analysis were governance (control) and marketisation (choice). These themes have strong connections to analyses of the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) and contribute to understanding how education policy discourses can frame teacher education. The positioning of trainee teachers as both product and subject of initial teacher education in education policy documents is explored in the analysis.

Jet-veto resummation at N3LLp + NNLO in boson production processes

Abstract: A bstract Vetoing energetic jet activity is a crucial tool for suppressing backgrounds and enabling new physics searches at the LHC, but the introduction of a veto scale can introduce large logarithms that may need to be resummed. We present an implementation of jet-veto resummation for color-singlet processes at the level of N 3 LL p matched to fixed-order NNLO predictions. Our public code MCFM allows for predictions of a single boson, such as Z/γ * , W ± or H , or with a pair of vector bosons, such as W + W − , W ± Z or ZZ . The implementation relies on recent calculations of the soft and beam functions in the presence of a jet veto over all rapidities, with jets defined using a sequential recombination algorithm with jet radius R . However one of the ingredients that is required to reach full N 3 LL accuracy is only known approximately, hence N 3 LL p . We describe in detail our formalism and compare with previous public codes that operate at the level of NNLL. Our higher-order predictions improve significantly upon NNLL calculations by reducing theoretical uncertainties. We demonstrate this by comparing our predictions with ATLAS and CMS results.

The organizational determinants of open innovation: a literature framework and future research directions

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the organizational determinants of open innovation (OI). A review of 154 publications taken from management and innovation journals makes us identify four dimensions of ‘resource-related’ organizational factors that can determine OI: resource investment (what or how many resources are being invested), organizational structure (where resources are being attributed), human capital (who or what individual-level characteristics are) and the attitudes of individuals (how resources are being treated). We also identify core theoretical lenses and propose moderating and mediating mechanisms that can explain the relationship between the dimensions and OI. Based on this, we generate a literature framework and propose that the effects of organizational factors on the implementation of OI can be achieved by influencing firms’ dynamic abilities, and that these effects vary across costs-related contingencies. We also suggest several directions for addressing relevant unexplored questions within the framework.

Self-governing organizations and culture: addressing condominium law developments in China

Abstract: Purpose This paper aims to unfold the intricate relations between private law design, the structure of organizations for collective action and cultural values and orientations that practically guide interpersonal interactions in Chinese society. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the Hofstede Insights National Culture survey (The Culture Compass) data and some judicial rulings in China, this paper examines the legislative development and judicial approach to settle condominium disputes to explain and address the cultural orientation for future legal reform. This paper examines how the law reflects and responds to the cultural and social variations/interactions among the stakeholders, namely, local government, developers, homeowner associations, condo owners and property management agents. Findings Culture plays a significant role in shaping how condominiums are governed in China. This analysis can highlight the role of cultural factors that influence the success or failure of condominium governance and suggest ways in which governance structures can be adapted to reflect the legal culture of the community better. The emphasis on social harmony, respect for authority, relationships and networks and knowledge and expertise all contribute to a unique approach to condominium governance that reflects the values and priorities of Chinese society. Originality/value While much has been written on the importance of property rights to economic development, relatively little seems to be understood about processes of change in complex property systems, particularly in China, a socialist-transforming country. Specifically, there is a lack of reliable knowledge about the intricate relations between the structure of organizations for collective action and cultural orientations that practically guide interpersonal interactions in Chinese society. The question at the heart of this research relates to the condominium rules most suitable for an emerging Chinese private property market.

Intermittent demand, inventory obsolescence, and temporal aggregation forecasts

Abstract: Forecasting for intermittent demand is considered a difficult task and becomes even more challenging in the presence of obsolescence. Traditionally the problem has been dealt with modifications in the conventional parametric methods such as Croston. However, these methods are generally applied at the observed frequency, ignoring any additional information, such as trend that becomes prominent at higher levels of aggregation. We evaluate established Temporal Aggregation (TA) methods: ADIDA, Forecast Combination, and Temporal Hierarchies in the said context. We further employ restricted least-squares estimation and propose two new combination approaches tailored to decreasing demand scenarios. Finally, we test our propositions on both simulated and real datasets. Our empirical findings support the use of variable forecast combination weights to improve TA’s performance in intermittent demand items with a risk of obsolescence.

Bayesian multi-proxy reconstruction of early Eocene latitudinal temperature gradients

Abstract: Abstract. Accurately reconstructing large-scale palaeoclimate patterns from sparse local records is critical for understanding the evolution of Earth’s climate. Particular challenges arise from the patchiness, uneven spatial distribution, and disparate nature of palaeoclimatic proxy records. Geochemical data typically provide temperature estimates via transfer functions derived from experiments. Similarly, transfer functions based on the climatic requirements of modern taxa exist for some fossil groups, such as pollen assemblages. In contrast, most ecological and lithological data (e.g. coral reefs and evaporites) only convey information on broad climatic requirements. Historically, most large-scale proxy-based reconstructions have used either geochemical or ecological data, but few studies have combined multiple proxy types into a single quantitative reconstruction. Large spatial gaps in existing proxy records have often been bridged by simple averaging, without taking into account the spatial distribution of samples, leading to biased temperature reconstructions. Here, we present a Bayesian hierarchical model to integrate ecological data with established geochemical proxies into a unified quantitative framework, bridging gaps in the latitudinal coverage of proxy data. We apply this approach to the early Eocene climatic optimum (EECO), the interval with the warmest sustained temperatures of the Cenozoic. Assuming the conservation of thermal tolerances of modern coral reefs and mangrove taxa, we establish broad sea surface temperature ranges for EECO coral reef and mangrove sites. We integrate these temperature estimates with the EECO geochemical shallow marine proxy record to model the latitudinal sea surface temperature gradient and global average temperatures of the EECO. Our results confirm the presence of a flattened latitudinal temperature gradient and unusually high polar temperatures during the EECO, which is supported by high-latitude ecological data. We show that integrating multiple types of proxy data, and adequate prior information, has the potential to substantially reduce uncertainty in palaeoclimate reconstructions, allowing for unbiased temperature estimates from sparse data.

Observations and modelling of GIA in the Ross Sea region, Antarctica

Abstract: ANET-POLENET (Antarctic Network of the Polar Earth Observing Network) bedrock GNSS sites in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica surround an LGM load center in the Siple region of the Ross Embayment and record crustal motion due to GIA.&#160; Rather than a radial pattern of horizontal motion away from the former load, we instead observe three primary patterns of deformation; 1) motions are reversed towards the load in the southern region of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM), 2) motions are radially away from the load in the Marie Byrd Land (MBL) region, and 3) an overall gradient in motion is present, with magnitudes progressively increasing from East to West Antarctica.&#160; We investigate the effects of alternative Earth model and ice loading scenarios, with the goal of understanding these distinct patterns of horizontal bedrock motion and their drivers. Using GIA models with a range of 1D Earth models, alternative ice loading scenarios for the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (LGM time scale) and the Siple Coast (centennial and millennial time scales) are explored.&#160; We find that no 1D model, regardless of the Earth model and ice loading scenario used, reproduces all three distinct patterns of observed motion at the same time.&#160; For select ice loading scenarios we also examine the influence of more complex rheology by invoking a boundary in Earth properties beneath the Transantarctic Mountains.&#160; This approach accounts for the strong lateral gradient in Earth properties across the continent by effectively separating East and West Antarctica into two different Earth model profiles.&#160; Some of our GIA models utilizing 3D Earth structure reproduce predicted motions that match all three observed patterns of deformation, and we find that a multiple order magnitude of change in upper mantle viscosity between East and West Antarctica is required to fit the observations.&#160;

Exploring controls on the spatial distribution of bedrock exposure in a mixed bedrock-alluvial river system

Abstract: In mixed bedrock-alluvial river systems, the riverbed sediment cover depends on interactions between sediment supply, channel morphology and flow characteristics. The controls and dynamics of bedrock exposure are not well understood due to the complexity of interactions between hydraulics and sediment processes. These processes constantly modify the spatial location of bedrock and alluvial reaches over a timescale of hundreds of years. This study aims to understand how channel and sediment properties affect the spatial distribution of bedrock exposure in mixed bedrock and alluvial systems using a combination of numerical modelling and field data. The River Carron in the Scottish Highlands was chosen as the study area as it is a mixed bedrock-alluvial river system with available data on the percentage of sediment cover along the main channel. A numerical model &#8211; Network Sediment Transporter from Landlab &#8211; was used to simulate sediment transport and track sediment parcels in the River Carron. The river network is represented as a graph made up of nodes and links, in which links are reaches of 100 m. The model was updated to simulate sediment input in every timestep and to calculate the percentage of sediment cover in each reach. A sensitivity analysis of the model was peformed to evaluate how the input parameter values of initial sediment cover, flow depth, grain size, sediment input, and timestep length affect the sediment cover when the simulations achieved a steady state. Field data on topography, bankfull depth and width and grain size were used to estimate initial model input values. We ran the model in spin-up time to freely adjust parameters such as the spatial distribution of bed sediment grain size. The percentage of sediment cover resulting from the model was compared with field data. Scenarios were created by modifying sediment input, flow depth and grain size parameter values in the simulations to determine how these parameters affect the spatial distribution of bedrock exposure of the system. We found that the model did not represent the mixed bedrock-alluvial reaches, as it mostly separated the reaches into either 100% bedrock or 100% alluvial reaches. Numerical modelling is a useful approach to explore controls on the spatial distribution of bedrock exposure, given that data, particularly temporal data, from bedrock rivers are still scarce.

What impact does the pathway through the solar corona make on CMEs?

Abstract: Decades of observations have revealed that Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) come in a variety of forms. Some have a classic 3-part structure, whilst others can be fan shaped or jet-like. Some of these differences can be put down to projection effects, but differences in magnetic structure also play a key role. Observational and simulation studies are now highlighting that the path by which a CME flux rope traverses the solar corona, and in particular the magnetic structures it interacts with on the way, shape the ultimate characteristics of the CME further out in the heliosphere. Therefore, understanding the nature of CME flux rope interaction with the ambient corona is a key part of predicting their evolution through the heliosphere and ultimately their geoeffectiveness at Earth. In this talk I&#8217;ll discuss from a modelling perspective some recent efforts to understand this interaction process and what it tells us about CMEs on a range of scales.

Seabed seismometers reveal duration and structure of longest runout sediment flows on Earth

Abstract: Seafloor sediment flows (turbidity currents) form some of the largest sediment accumulations on Earth, carry globally significant volumes of organic carbon, and can damage critical seafloor infrastructure. These fast and destructive events are notoriously challenging to measure in action, as they often damage any instruments anchored within the flow. We present the first direct evidence that turbidity currents generate seismic signals which can be remotely sensed (~1-3 km away), revealing the internal structure and remarkably prolonged duration of the longest runout sediment flows on Earth. Passive Ocean Bottom Seismograph (OBS) sensors, located on terraces of the Congo Canyon, offshore West Africa, recorded thirteen turbidity currents over an 8-month period. The occurrence and timing of these turbidity currents was confirmed by nearby moorings with acoustic Doppler current profilers.Results show that turbidity currents travelling over ~1.5 m/s produce a seismic signal concentrated below 10 Hz with a sudden onset and more gentle decay. Comparison of the seismic signals with information on flow velocities from the acoustic Doppler current profilers demonstrates that the seismic signal is generated by the fast-moving front of the flow (frontal cell), which contains higher sediment concentrations compared to the slower-moving body. Long runout flows travelling >1000 km have a fast (3.7-7.6 m s-1) frontal cell, which can be 14 hours, and ~350 km long, with individual flows lasting >3 weeks. Flows travelling >1000 km eroded >1300 Mt of sediment in one year, yet had near-constant front speeds, contrary to past theory. The seismic dataset allows us to propose a fundamental new model for how turbidity currents self-sustain, where sediment fluxes into and from a dense frontal layer are near-balanced.Seismic monitoring of turbidity currents provides a new method to record these hazardous submarine flows, safely, over large areas, continuously for years yet at sub-second temporal resolution. Monitoring these processes from land would considerably ease deployment efforts and costs. Thus, work is underway investigating if terrestrial seismic stations can record submarine seafloor processes in Bute Inlet, a fjord in western Canada where independent measurement of delta-lip failures and turbidity currents can be compared to a passive seismic dataset.

Projecting 21st century global and regional sea-level changes

Abstract: Global mean sea-level change is a key indicator of the Earth's climate state. Changes in temperature alter global mean sea level through changes in ocean mass (e.g., glaciers and ice sheets) and ocean density (i.e., ocean heat content). Additional factors and processes influence sea-level change leading to local rates that differ from the global mean. Given the large potential impacts of sea-level change, projecting future sea level across scales is crucial for climate mitigation, vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning. This article summarizes the processes driving global and regional sea-level changes and outlines the variety of approaches used for projecting them.

A worst case extreme sea levels along the global coastline by 2

Abstract: We calculate the magnitude of a worst case scenario for extreme sea levels along the global coastline by 2100. Our worst case scenario for extreme sea levels is a combination of sea surface height associated with storm surge and wave (100-year return period, the 95th percentile), high tide (the 95th percentile) and a low probability sea level rise scenario (the 95th percentile). We show that by 2100 extreme sea levels have a 5% change of exceeding 4.2 m (global coastal average), compared to 2.6 m during the baseline period (1980-2014). Up to 90% of increases in magnitude of extreme sea levels are driven by future sea level rise, compare to 10% associated with changes in storm surges and waves. By 2030-2040 the present-day 100-year return period for extreme sea levels would be experienced at least once a year in tropical areas. This 100-fold increase in frequency will take place on all global coastlines by 2100. Future changes in magnitude and frequency of extreme sea levels undermine the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems, considering that sea level rise will increase the magnitude, frequency of extreme sea levels and will reduce the time for post-event recovery.&#160;

TADF Invariant of Host Polarity and Ultralong Fluorescence Lifetimes in a Donor‐Acceptor Emitter Featuring a Hybrid Sulfone‐Triarylboron Acceptor**

Abstract: 10H-Dibenzo[b,e][1,4]thiaborinine 5,5-dioxide (SO2B)—a high triplet (T1=3.05 eV) strongly electron-accepting boracycle was successfully utilised in thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters PXZ-Dipp-SO2B and CZ-Dipp-SO2B. We demonstrate the near-complete separation of highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals leading to a low oscillator strength of the S1→S0 CT transition, resulting in very long ca. 83 ns and 400 ns prompt fluorescence lifetimes for CZ-Dipp-SO2B and PXZ-Dipp-SO2B, respectively, but retaining near unity photoluminescence quantum yield. OLEDs using CZ-Dipp-SO2B as the luminescent dopant display high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 23.3 % and maximum luminance of 18600 cd m−2 with low efficiency roll off at high brightness. For CZ-Dipp-SO2B, reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) is mediated through the vibronic coupling of two charge transfer (CT) states, without involving the triplet local excited state (3LE), resulting in remarkable rISC rate invariance to environmental polarity and polarisability whilst giving high organic light-emitting diode (OLED) efficiency. This new form of rISC allows stable OLED performance to be achieved in different host environments.

Experimental validation of the dynamic thermal network approach in modelling buried pipes

Abstract: The transient behavior of buried pipe systems plays a significant role in many heating and cooling systems, particularly in thermal energy networks and ground heat exchangers. In this study, the dynamic thermal network (DTN) approach’s validity as a response factor method in modeling dynamic conduction heat transfer in a buried pipe system is experimentally validated. A lab-scale representation of a buried pipe system has been excited by step changes in boundary temperatures and heat fluxes measured up to times approaching steady-state conditions. This data is used to derive weighting factors and also evaluate the validity of numerical representations of the buried pipe and to verify that the DTN method can reproduce the heat flux responses. It is demonstrated that the weighting factors required in this method can be derived from both numerical and experimental step-response time series data. The DTN method is found to be both accurate in reproducing the heat fluxes in the validation experiments but also significantly more computationally efficient than a conventional numerical model when simulating long timescale responses in buried pipe systems.

How flat subduction and the upper plate rheology control the deformation of the North China craton

Abstract: The longevity of the cratonic lithosphere is controlled by its buoyancy, strength, and the viscosity contrast with that of the underlying sub-lithospheric mantle. A number of geodynamic models show that the style and characteristic of lithospheric removal/thinning mechanisms over cratons (i.e. whether delamination, drip, or hydration weakening) are accounted by their geological history and geodynamic evolution. For example, the question of which process(es) control lithospheric removal from beneath the Wyoming and North China cratons still enigmatic. To address this problem, we are using 2D numerical models to investigate how lithospheric mantle of the North China Block has been thinned in which geological, geophysical and petrological studies refers the areas as key example of cratonic destruction/removal that occurred (120-80 Ma). Considering the geological evolution of North China region, the main focus of the study is to investigate the effects of a set of parameters (e.g., viscosity, buoyancy and thickness) for the base of cratons which is likely weakened by fluids released from the subducting oceanic plate.&#160;Our preliminary results show that movement of the subducting plate is sensitive to the parameters affecting the stability of the lithosphere whereas overriding plate is mainly affected by viscosity. If the base of the cratonic lithospheric mantle is dense, thick and relatively less viscous, it forces oceanic slab to rollback, else the overlying plate slides through the base of the cratonic mantle. The model results with stagnated oceanic plate at the transition zone with low viscosity cratonic base is responsible for the deformation of the cratonic roots.

Le Sexe des Modernes: pensée du Neutre et théories du genre. Par Éric Marty

Abstract: Le dernier ouvrage d’Éric Marty s’ouvre sur une déclaration fracassante: ‘Le genre (gender) est le dernier grand message idéologique de l’Occident envoyé au reste du monde’ (p. 11). Dans ce livre, l’essayiste relève le défi de mettre en perspective la notion de genre telle qu’elle fut définie par Judith Butler il y a trente ans. De fait, l’objet de cet ouvrage, d’une nette dimension philologique, est double: d’abord, Marty se charge de clarifier le fond théorique de la pensée de Butler, qu’il estime ‘ambigu’ (p. 51); il propose aussi de faire un travail épistémologique sur la pensée du Neutre, en convoquant de manière croisée, en autres, des théoriciens de l’écriture tels que Jacques Lacan et Louis Althusser, et surtout Roland Barthes (‘degré zéro’), Gilles Deleuze (‘extra-être’) ou encore Jacques Derrida (‘différance’). Il dédie par ailleurs un chapitre entier à Michel Foucault qui offre à Butler les outils constitutifs de sa théorie du genre. C’est établi, les commentaires de Foucault sur les Souvenirs de l’hermaphrodite Herculine Barbin (Paris: Gallimard, 1978) ont été essentiels pour la réflexion de Butler sur le travestissement. Car Marty rappelle bien que si le gender est une invention américaine — il remonte d’ailleurs plus loin que Butler avec John Money, Robert J. Stoller, Gayle Rubin etc. —, les structuralistes et poststructuralistes ont envisagé les différents aspects de cette notion sans toutefois lui donner de nom, se concentrant sur la pensée du Neutre à partir de la puissance transgressive de la littérature: ‘Il y a […] un intraduisible essentiel entre le discours des Modernes français et celui des gender dont les objets sont pourtant parfois si proches’ (p. 37; c’est l’auteur qui souligne). Se pose donc la question de savoir pourquoi Butler a procédé à un transfert de signifiants théoriques émanant de la France des années 1970 — et surtout, comment elle s’approprie des concepts, les détournant de leur sens initial, pour les utiliser à ses propres fins. Ainsi, sans toutefois attaquer frontalement la théorie du genre, Marty en explique la complexité et procède à une minutieuse déconstruction de la manière de faire de Butler, qu’il nomme ‘activiste rhétorique’ (voir l’entretien avec Jacques-Alain Miller, Lacan quotidien, 926), notamment par rapport au corpus lacanien: il met en évidence comment aux États-Unis la pensée psychanalytique est adaptée à l’idéologie américaine et aux facteurs socioculturels du pays (psychosociologie adaptative: voir par exemple l’usage des termes tels que ‘agency’ ou ‘empowerment’ par Butler, empruntés au discours managérial). Par ailleurs, il pose aussi, de manière tout à fait intéressante, le problème de la traduction et de l’interprétation des textes des théoriciens français (par exemple Foucault, p. 471). Car s’il rappelle que nous avons besoin de ce signifiant nouveau qu’est le genre — un ‘signifiant indépassable’ selon Butler (p. 487) —, Le Sexe des Modernes n’en demeure pas moins le brillant exposé théorique d’une rivalité réciproque dans le domaine de la théorie (mais aussi, un clash culturel, symbolique, politique) entre la pensée américaine et la pensée continentale. Dans ce contexte, il sera instructif ainsi de voir l’accueil qu’aura l’ouvrage de Marty de l’autre côté de l’Atlantique.

Reply on RC2

Abstract: Abstract. The Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass at an accelerating rate over the past two decades. Understanding ice mass and glacier changes during the preceding several hundred years, prior to geodetic measurements, is more difficult because evidence of past ice extent in many places was later overridden. Saltmarshes provide the only continuous records of Relative Sea Level (RSL) from close to the Greenland Ice Sheet that span the period of time during and since the Little Ice Age (LIA) and can be used to reconstruct ice mass gain and loss over recent centuries. Saltmarsh sediments collected at the mouth of Dronning Marie Dal, close to the Greenland Ice Sheet margin in southeast Greenland, record RSL changes over the past c. 300 years through changing sediment and diatom stratigraphy. These RSL changes record a combination of processes that are dominated by local/regional changes in Greenland Ice Sheet mass balance during this critical period that spans the maximum of the LIA and 20th Century warming. In the early part of the record (1725–1762 CE) the rate of RSL rise is higher than reconstructed from the closest isolation basin at Timmiarmiut, but between 1762–1880 CE the RSL rate is within the error range of rate of RSL change recorded in the isolation basin. RSL begins to slowly fall around 1880 CE and then accelerates since the 1990s, with a total amount of RSL fall of 0.08 ±0.1 m in the last 140 years. Modelled RSL, which takes into account contributions from post-LIA Greenland Ice Sheet Glacio-isostatic Adjustment (GIA), ongoing deglacial GIA, the global non-ice sheet glacial melt fingerprint, contributions from thermosteric effects, the Antarctic mass loss sea-level fingerprint and terrestrial water storage, over-predicts the amount of RSL fall since the end of the LIA by at least 0.5 m. The GIA signal caused by post-LIA Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss is by far the largest contributor to this modelled RSL, and error in its calculation can have a large impact on RSL predictions at Dronning Marie Dal. We cannot reconcile the modelled RSL and the saltmarsh observations, even when moving the termination of the LIA to 1800 CE and reducing the post-LIA Greenland mass loss signal by 30 %, and a ‘budget residual’ of +~2.5 mm/yr since the end of the LIA remains unexplained.

Behavioural intervention to reduce sexually transmitted infections in people aged 16–24 years in the UK: the safetxt RCT

Abstract: Background The prevalence of genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea is higher in the 16–24 years age group than those in other age group. With users, we developed the theory-based safetxt intervention to reduce sexually transmitted infections. Objectives To establish the effect of the safetxt intervention on the incidence of chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection at 1 year. Design A parallel-group, individual-level, randomised superiority trial in which care providers and outcome assessors were blinded to allocation. Setting Recruitment was from 92 UK sexual health clinics. Participants Inclusion criteria were a positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea test result, diagnosis of non-specific urethritis or treatment started for chlamydia/gonorrhoea/non-specific urethritis in the last 2 weeks; owning a personal mobile phone; and being aged 16–24 years. Allocation Remote computer-based randomisation with an automated link to the messaging system delivering intervention or control group messages. Intervention The safetxt intervention was designed to reduce sexually transmitted infection by increasing partner notification, condom use and sexually transmitted infection testing before sex with new partners. It employed educational, enabling and incentivising content delivered by 42–79 text messages over 1 year, tailored according to type of infection, gender and sexuality. Comparator A monthly message regarding trial participation. Main outcomes The primary outcome was the incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 12 months, assessed using nucleic acid amplification tests. Secondary outcomes at 1 and 12 months included self-reported partner notification, condom use and sexually transmitted infection testing prior to sex with new partner(s). Results Between 1 April 2016 and 23 November 2018, we assessed 20,476 people for eligibility and consented and randomised 6248 participants, allocating 3123 to the safetxt intervention and 3125 to the control. Primary outcome data were available for 4675 (74.8%) participants. The incidence of chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection was 22.2% (693/3123) in the intervention group and 20.3% (633/3125) in the control group (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.31). There was no evidence of heterogeneity in any of the prespecified subgroups. Partner notification was 85.6% in the intervention group and 84.0% in the control group (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.33). At 12 months, condom use at last sex was 33.8% in the intervention group and 31.2% in the control group (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.28) and condom use at first sex with most recent new partner was 54.4% in the intervention group and 48.7% in the control group (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.11 to 1.45). Testing before sex with a new partner was 39.5% in the intervention group and 40.9% in the control group (odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.10). Having two or more partners since joining the trial was 56.9% in the intervention group and 54.8% in the control group (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.24) and having sex with someone new since joining the trial was 69.7% in the intervention group and 67.4% in the control group (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.28). There were no differences in safety outcomes. Additional sensitivity and per-protocol analyses showed similar results. Limitations Our understanding of the mechanism of action for the unanticipated effects is limited. Conclusions The safetxt intervention did not reduce chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections, with slightly more infections in the intervention group. The intervention increased condom use but also increased the number of partners and new partners. Randomised controlled trials are essential for evaluating health communication interventions, which can have unanticipated effects. Future work Randomised controlled trials evaluating novel interventions in this complex area are needed. Trial registration This trial is registered as ISRCTN64390461. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research ; Vol. 11, No. 1. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

<i>Nomos</i> and <i>nomothesia</i>

Abstract: Nomos is the Greek word for law, though in some contexts it can mean “custom.”

Identifying Zeeman pairs of hydroxyl masers in NGC 6334I-MM3 via velocity drift

Abstract: ABSTRACT A new tool to identify possible Zeeman pairs is presented here: the right circularly polarized (RCP) and left circularly polarized (LCP) components of a pair with velocity drift at the same rate. Long-term monitoring of hydroxyl transitions towards NGC 6334I-MM3 has resulted in the identification of three possible Zeeman pairs, one each at the 1.667, 6.030, and 6.035 GHz transitions, where the rate of drift of the RCP feature equals that of the LCP component. Historical observations suggest that their drift has been occurring over 40 yr. A fourth pair in the 1.720 GHz OH transition may indicate magnetic field variation over 50 yr.